Chest lid retaining means



April 30, 1968 s. KRAMER CHEST LID RETAINING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.

INVENTOR SOL KRAMER ATTORNEY April 30, 1968 s, KRAMER 3,380,617

CHEST LID RETAINING MEANS Filed Feb. 5. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States atent 3,330,617 CHEST LED RETAINING MEANS Sol Kramer, Baltimore, Md, assignor to Life-Like Products, Inc, Baltimore, Md, a corporation of Maryland Filed Feb. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 524,674 8 Claims. (Cl. 220-32) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE Means are provided for retaining a lid on a chest in the form of a plastic strip having a linear depression defining a hinge line and means for securing the plastic strip in place which comprises a shank adapted to be disposed through an aperture of the material and a holding member on the outer end of the shank. The outer end of the shank may be provided with a groove, for example, to snap engage a lock washer.

This invention relates to chests and it is more particularly concerned with means for securing a lid to the chest.

The invention is adapted to chest lids generally but it is especially useful in the case of so-called thermal chests used to hold foods in either a hot or a cold condition for substantial periods. Thermal chests of this type made of foamed plastics, such as foamed polystyrene resin, have been in wide and extensive use in recent years.

An object of the invention is the provision of means for holding the lid of such a chest in place.

Another object is the provision of such means which can be applied quickly and without the need for highly skilled labor.

A further object is the provision of such means which can be adapted for such use as both a hinge or a latch.

A still further object is the provision of means for hingedly holdin the lid on the chest and modifications of such means for holding the lid in its closed position.

A still further object is the provision of a thermal chest construction which comprises cooperatively both such hinge means and latch means simultaneously.

These and still further objects, advantages and features of the invention will appear more fully from the following description considered together with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view of an embodimenet of the invention partly broken away.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the latch members on a larger scale apart from the chest as a whole.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 44 of FIG. 2 showing in dotted lines the open position of the latch.

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of a fragmentary portion of the embodiment showing in dotted lines a nonoperating position of the latch.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along the line 66 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the hinge members on a larger scale apart from the chest as a whole.

FIG. 8 is an outerside elevational view of one of the snap lock washers on a larger scale, apart from the chest as a whole.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 from the opposite side of the snap lock washer.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view along the line 10.it) of FIG. 8, showing in dotted lines the distortion of the washer under the application of stress while being applied to a shank of the hinge member.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing, the embodiment is illustrated in conjunction with a typical thermal chest 11 of a foamed plastic material with a lid 12 of the same material.

The lid is hinged to the chest by a pair of strap hinges 13, 13, each of which comprises a strip of plastic material, such as polypropylene resin. Each strip has an upper horizontal part 14 adapted to lie along the top of the lid 12 and a lower vertical part 15 at right angles to the part 14 adapted to lie along the exterior side of the rear wall 16 of the chest. Integral with the upper part 14 is a shank 17 extending at right angles and adapted to register with an aperture 18 in the lid. A similar shank 19 is integral with the part 15 and it extends at right angles to the plane thereof to register with an aperture 20 in the rear wall 16. The end section of the shanks 17 and 19 are provided with a series of grooves 21 and 22, respectively, and the shanks are sufficiently long to permit the grooved ends to extend from the inner sides of the respective apertures 18 and 20.

A snap lock washer 23 is adapted to engage the outer end at each shank and hold the shank in place as shown. These washers have a series of resilient sections such as the quadrants 24 formed by radial slits 25 extending radially from a central opening 26. Each of these sections have an arcuate detent 27 adapted to resiliently engage a groove of the shank. This provides a quick means for securing the hinges in place. A portion 28 of each quadrant of the washer extends from the detents 27 along the grooves of the shanks.

The part 15 is provided with a linear depression 29 along the hinge line to facilitate the hinged function of the device.

Guide pins 30 integral with the strips are provided to enter apertures 31 in adjacent places of the chest and lid to help hold the strip parts in proper orientation.

The latch members referred to above also comprise each a strip 32 of plastic material such as polypropylene resin. In the embodiment illustrated a pair of such strips are shown, one on either side of the chest, each pivotally attached by means of a pin 33 which also functions to hingedly support the arms 34, 34 of a U-shaped handle 35. However, other means may be used to attach the latch to the chest and at other positions, including the front wall, the means shown in the drawing being for illustrative purposes only and not for the purpose of limitation.

The strip 32 has a generally horizontal upper arm 36 bent at right angles to overlie in latched position the top of the lid 12. The arm 3-6 is also provided with an end hook configuration 37 which is adapted to engage a depression 38 in the lid under the natural resiliency of the latch material. The vertical side portion 39 of the strip 32 is provided with a linear depression 40 along the hinge line, as in the case of the hinges i3. Between the hinge line 4t} and the outer end of the upper arm 36 an integral stiffening ridge 41 is provided. By these means the latch member can be quickly manipulated to the latched or unlatched positions and can be disposed in an out of the way position when unlatched so as not to interfere with the opening and closing of the lid. See FIGS. 4 and 5.

I claim:

1. In a chest having a closure lid, means for securing the lid to the chest, said means comprising a one piece hin ed strip of a plastic material, said strip having a linear depression defining a hinge, said strip having a shank connected thereto and extending therefrom on either side of the hinge, said chest and lid having an aperture for each shank, said shanks being disposed in their corresponding apertures and extending from one side thereof to and beyond the other side, and means cooperating with the extended portion of the shanks to hold the shanks in the apertures.

2. A hinge comprising a strip of plastic material, said strip having a linear depression defining its hinge line, a shank connected to and extending from the strip on either side of the hinge line, said shanks being adapted to register with apertures of the structure to which it is to be applied, and means cooperating with the outer ends of the shanks for holding it in a fixed position relative to such a structure.

3. A hinge as defined by claim 2 in which the shanks are integral with the strips of plastic material and are formed of the same plastic material.

4. A hinge as defined by claim 3 in which the outer ends of the shanks are provided with grooves and snap lock Washers adapted to engage said grooves.

S. A hinge as defined by claim 2 and projections integral with the plastic strip adapted to register with apertures of the structure to which the hinge is adapted to be applied and thereby retain the strip in a fixed position relative thereto.

6. In a chest as defined by claim 1 in which the means for securing the lid to the chest comprises a latch member attached to the chest and having a latch arm adapted to releasibly engage the lid and hold it in a closed position, said latch member comprising a strip of plastic material having a linear depression to permit hingedly moving the latch arm out of and into engagement with the lid.

7. In a chest as defined by claim 6 in which the latch arm of the latch member has a projection and the lid has a corresponding depression adapted to register with each other in the latched position.

3. In a chest as defined by claim 6 in which the latch member is pivotally attached to the chest.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,163,686 12/1964 Dusel 2209 3,167,207 1/1965 Kruger et a1 220-315 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

20 I. B. MARBERT, Assistant Examiner. 

